Just when it seemed that shifts in movie release schedules had died down and, in light of the theatrical-exclusive go-ahead with Tenet, the rest of the announced dates for major studio 2020 releases might hold, Disney announced that their 20th Century Studios action prequel The King’s Man would no longer be released on September 18, 2020. It is now slated for February 26, 2021.
Not a big shocker, especially when coupled with Disney’s decision to pull Mulan from movie theaters entirely (that live-action remake will debut exclusively on streamer Disney+ for a $30 upcharge to subscribers on Friday September 4).
However, just when this latest move seemed to hint that other 2020 Disney titles like Marvel’s Black Widow and Pixar’s Soul might soon follow to 2021, another schedule confirmation may suggest otherwise.
Disney also announced that Pixar’s upcoming animated feature Luca will bow in theaters on June 18, 2021. By setting that date, Disney appears to be confirming that Soul will stay put for November 20, 2020. Or, at most, Soul could delayed until spring, but the Luca release announcement reveals that Disney isn’t too keen on making the kind of dramatic delays that most other studios have embraced.
Which leads us back to Black Widow. It’s November 6, 2020 now also seems more likely than it once did. Again, it’s not out of the picture that BW could shift to February 2021 if events require it, but it’s unlikely that Disney will make fans wait until next summer before they get their next Marvel movie.
And if Tenet fares well with its impending theatrical run, we could end up getting Black Widow and Soul for the holiday season after all.
That’s certainly the plan for one of Disney’s awards hopefuls, the microbudget indie Nomadland starring Frances McDormand and directed by Chloé Zhao (helmer of Marvel’s upcoming The Eternals). Nomadland will be released on December 4, 2020, through Disney’s Searchlight banner.